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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Thoughts on Shamim Masih’s ‘Dr. Muhammad Amjid’

Below is a post sent by Shamim Masih profiling Dr. Muhammad Amjid as a man working to improve the lot of the poor in Pakistan. Shamim is heavily involved in charity/non-profits that promotes inter-faith cooperation to help the poor discover a better path to a prosperous life. Inter-faith in this case is usually between Islam and Christianity. I have noticed that Islamic minority faiths such as Shia and Ahmadiyya. Sunni Islam considers Shia and Ahmadiyya to be heresies and as such they are not well treated in Pakistan.

I like to be clear that I consider Islam of any stripe to be an antichrist religion. Thus I am not real big on the interfaith maxim because ultimately Sharia Law takes the stand that Christians are deceived by corrupted Scripture and thus to be humiliated for being infidels.

Shamim in all likelihood does not appreciate my stand on interfaith work with Islam. On the other hand if Moderate Muslims are willing to take a stand in the spirit of equal rights for humans of all faiths, races and creeds I believe it to be magnificent.

I like to try to get corroborating information on Dr. Amjid via Google, I could not this time. However let’s examine some of the organizations Shamim associates with Dr. Amjid.

Shamim credits Dr. Amjid for founding SHELTAR International. Shamim writes a bit of what SHELTAR represent but I am going to post the info from the organization’s homepage to bring a little more clarity:

SHELTAR International has come forward to bring revolution by social progress through community involvement and capacity building in the health, education, environment and rehabilitation sectors.

SHELTAR was established in 1999 to address the problems and sufferings of deprived humanity. SHELTAR is contributing its share to the development of the society. SHELTAR's principal objectives are to bring social and behavioral change in the system through mass awareness and community participation. SHELTAR aims to recognize the derogatory and forlorn health conditions, which have stigmatized our rural commune.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to alleviate poverty and ill health through communal well-being.

OUR MISSION

To bring virtual revolution by social progress through community involvement and capacity building in health, education, environment and rehabilitation sectors.

SHELTAR International sounds a bit like a subsidiary of UN Agenda 21 which is a path to global government and quasi-freedom as filtered through the eyes of Eco-Marxism. Agenda 21’s Eco-Marxism is not compatible with American Liberty and our Constitutional Bill of Rights. On the other hand an effective Eco-Marxist Agenda 21if successfully implemented would probably benefit Christians in Pakistan more than hinder them. Islam and Sharia are not exactly known for tolerance of cross-cultural Liberty.

Shamim also reveals that Dr. Amjid was (or is – I’m not clear yet) the Senior VP former Pakistan dictator Parvaiz (or Pervez) Musharraf’s political party known as All Pakistan Muslim League (APML). Musharraf established the APML as a political means to regain power rather than the auspices of the Pakistan military. That hasn’t worked for Musharraf.

Evidently APML is not popular with Shamim. I haven’t delved into the reasons as to why. Shamim makes a point Dr. Amjid denies he has joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) [SA PPP history HERE and HERE]. In Googling the PPP I discovered that a more prevalent spelling of Dr. ‘Amjid’ is ‘Amjad’. There are several Google search engine links relating how Dr. Amjad has been a senior advisor to General Musharraf and that he has joined the PPP. I don’t understand the reason that Dr. Amjid refutes that claim. Perhaps the explanation is something as simple as the press releases confused meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf as a PPP positive in politics.

Shamim’s confidence in Dr. Muhammad Amjid seems to based on thoughts expressed in the first paragraph of Shamim’s article:

The people from different communities can develop strong ties with each other, once their leaders interact and work jointly for harmony and tolerance, said Dr. Muhammad Amjid.

Ignorance and lack of education sow hatred and division in our society

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 2/11/2013 3:46 AM

Involve in positive change

Islamabad Pakistan (Shamim Masih): Peace and harmony must not be promoted only in words, but also in concrete actions of peace. The people from different communities can develop strong ties with each other, once their leaders interact and work jointly for harmony and tolerance, said Dr. Muhammad Amjid.

Talking to Shamim in an interview Dr. Amjid said that non-violence and dialogue is an effective tactic to resolve conflicts and remove prejudice, and therefore people from different faiths must come closer by taking joint initiatives for promotion of peace and harmony.

Dr. Muhammad Amjid, a business magnate, a futuristic and politically in, lives and runs his business in Islamabad for the last two decades. A former student of Forman Christian College, Lahore, settled in Islamabad and started his business and gradually stepped in list of the successful business man of the history of Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Being the Chief Executive of Pharmaceutical Production unit, he has been involved in Research & Development of different Pharmaceutical Products, which include Drugs, Vaccine & sera. In addition, the Open International University awarded due to above work Ph. D. for complementary Medicine.

We are forced to wonder when someone doing charitable work among the poorest of this nation trying to ease their misery- the name appeared, Dr. Muhammad Amjid, kind hearted man comprehend the ache of the average man faces and fervent to alleviate miseries of his surroundings. Being practical, he started a non-profit organization under the name “SHELTAR International” in 1999. SHELTAR International; is a society for health, Environment, Literacy and Rehabilitation. It aims to bring social and behavioral change in the system through mass awareness and community participation. Hepatitis is a virus that travels through the blood stream and attacks the liver. Pakistan is among those countries that have a high carrier rate of Hepatitis B and C and as compare to women it is more prevalent in men. A large number of people need to have screening for Hepatitis. Talking about the humanitarian work done, he briefly described that though the tests are not very expensive but the fact is most of our community is poor and vulnerable so cannot they cannot afford these tests. Sheltar International identified and polish the potential of the community to avail the opportunity and also to improve their quality of life. Keeping in view the above mentioned problem SHELTAR International supported women VOs and they have series of activities against Hepatitis to provoke the rapidly spreading HBV & HCV in our local community. He has very positive in resolving the issues of the people.

Dr. Muhammad Amjid had been part of the governing team in previous government, and associated with All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) as Senior Vice President. He denied the news printed about joining Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he said he met with Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in December, 2012 but didn’t join PPP as party member.

Dozens of former military dictator Gen (Retd) Parvaiz Musharraf’s aide, including Fawad Chaudhary, have quit APML so far.

Like I have full faith in the fact that there is God, I also have solid belief that Pakistan is here to stay and we have everything. There is shortage of nothing but committed leadership who work for the sake the country. I simply have no doubt in writing; he is committed to deliver to the nation.